Some Time Soon
by Ann Parker
Summary: Post Amplification. She didn't even visit him at the hospital. Its time for Reid to move on...or is it? A short one-shot about how JJ and Reid got to where they are today and what may come of their relationship in the future. JJ/Reid.


Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. It is the property of Mark R. Gordon and CBS. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Notes: One, this is takes place directly after "Amplification." I decided that the episode lacked a little at the ending, particularly after such a good episode up to that point. As a JJ/Reid shipper, I took it a little further. Second, this is probably just a one shot. My inspiration for stories has gone dry since "Through Thick and Thin." I had a brief inspiration for the "Good Friends" sequel but grad school killed it and I've had writers block since. Now I'm starting my internship and my thesis...so in other words, don't expect much more than this. Maybe when I get some breaks; we'll see. Although, I will say that my friend and beta reader planted a plot bunny for a Criminal Minds/NCIS crossover, so maybe that will show up over the next few months. That being said, I hope you enjoy this little story.

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**Some Time Soon**

By Ann Parker

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He sighed as he plopped down on his tattered old couch. He had gotten it fresh out of college for his first place and even then it had been worn. He just didn't have the heart to throw it away. This was a known character flaw of his – not knowing when to give up on something. Which was probably why his thoughts couldn't stop wondering back to her and the confusion and pain she'd caused him over the past few days. Days which he never expected to take place.

Shortly after he woke up from slipping into unconsciousness in the ambulance and found Morgan eating his jell-o he quietly wondered why there weren't more people in his hospital room. He was glad to see his best friend had kept his promise, but he was worried something had happened to keep the rest away. It hurt even more when Morgan said they caught the guy and that the case was over. He wondered if the older man had noticed a small flash of pain in his eyes when he thought that none of the rest cared.

This thought was quickly proven false, however, when Garcia rounded the corner a few seconds later with a handful of balloons. He smiled at the sight as his quirky friend ran over to him and hugged him so tight it hurt a little.

"Okay, mama, let him go before you break him," teased Morgan as Garcia reluctantly released him from her grasp.

"You really had me worried there for a second, sweetness," she stated, her voice lacking its usual sunshine.

He squeezed her hand for a second. "Sorry." She nodded faintly and he saw the sparkle return to her eyes.

"Just don't do it again, you hear me?" she teased and he nodded.

"Yes, ma'am." The three shared a small laugh just as Prentiss and Rossi entered the room. Hotch appeared about ten minutes later and Reid really felt like they all cared. Hotch even made a point to tell him why he was late. After awhile the nurse came in and said they needed get going, visiting hours were almost over. He waved to them before being consumed with the silence of his room. She was the only one that hadn't come by. And she was the only one that he desperately wanted to see.

The next afternoon it was decided that he was strong enough to be discharged as long as he took a few days off. Morgan and Garcia were there to help him get back to his apartment, which he discovered had been cleaned and his refrigerator had been restocked thanks to Prentiss. After getting him settled on his couch, the pair made themselves at home. He was dying to ask about her, but didn't want Morgan profiling him so he had to wait for the right moment. It took a few hours, but finally he was alone with Garcia for a few minutes.

"So, how's JJ?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Garcia didn't buy it though. "She didn't forget you, Reid. She just took this case really hard. She was really worried that Henry and Will would get exposed. She's probably just been so focused on holding her son in her arms that she hasn't had a chance to see you."

It was then that Reid remembered the discussion the two had shared before he had ran out of the office the morning of the attack. About the sevenmonth old baby. He sighed; she probably hated him for freaking her out even more than she already was and that's why she wasn't here. He hadn't even thought about what he was saying and how it could affect her. Yet before he could vocalize that thought, Morgan had returned and they went back to the movie they were watching.

The pair had finally left him to his thoughts about an hour ago and now she consumed them. He realized that it was time for him to let her go. He had been harboring these feelings for so long that he wasn't sure how to live without them. Even then others got in the way, like Austin and Will, he just couldn't get past how he felt. Even when she had another man's son, he just suppressed them even further. Why couldn't he just let her go?

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She stood outside his apartment door trying to find the courage to knock. A part of her just felt horrible that she had rushed home to hold Henry instead of seeing him at the hospital, although she knew that with her son was really where she needed to be. But that didn't excuse her from not seeing him today or even just picking up the phone. Garcia had sent her a text that he was discharged and that she and Morgan were watching a movie at his place. She wanted to join, but couldn't get herself to get out of her house. The truth was that she didn't know what she was going to do when she saw his face again. Deep down, she knew exactly what she wanted to do, but guilt was trying to stop her.

She cared for Will, truthfully, but not like how she felt for Spence. She had been ignoring her feelings for a long time, ever since Georgia. And when she met Will Spence was a shadow of himself and she wasn't strong enough to handle it so she rushed into the detective's arms. She had never meant for it to turn into what it did; she had never thought she'd have a family with Will. She had even had a brief thought about just raising the baby herself and maybe working towards her fantasy with him, but then Will gave up his career. She just didn't have the strength to tell him that she really wanted something else – someone else. She had a feeling that he could sense it as time went on, but neither of them wanted to acknowledge the truth. At least until now. This had been the last straw; she couldn't ignore it anymore. So what if their timing never seemed right, she couldn't fight it any longer and found herself outside his door.

She took a deep breath and lightly knocked on the door. Here goes nothing.

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He opened his eyes when he heard a soft knock on his door. Glancing at the clock on his wall he noticed it was almost midnight. Who could that be at this hour? Sighing, he climbed off of his couch and headed to his front door. Without glancing through the peephole, he unlocked the deadbolt and swung it open. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw who it was.

"Hey Spence," she greeted, her voice thick from lack of recent use. She wanted nothing more to grab him when she saw his big brown eyes, but she fought the urge back. "Um, can I come in for a bit?" she asked when he didn't say anything.

"Right, yeah, come in," he answered, barely able to get it out. Was she really here or was it just a dream? She walked past him, the faint flowery scent of her hair hitting him as she entered his small apartment. There was awkward silence between them as she took off her coat and draped it over the back of his couch. Finally he broke it. "So, what brings you here?"

She turned to face him, trying to find a way to get the right words to come out. "I came to see how you were."

"At this hour? JJ, you could have just called me or better yet, stopped by my hospital room yesterday or this morning," he replied, a little pain in his voice. He watched as she just blinked, unable to respond, and he was momentarily satisfied to have caused her some pain. That didn't last long, however, when he saw tears starting to form in her eyes. Before he could take it back, before he could try to fix it, she had rushed at him and pulled him in a tight embrace.

"I know, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, tears soaking through his shirt. "I just...I needed to see Henry, which was selfish, I know, but I needed to see with my own eyes that he was okay. And..." Her voice cracked. He was completely taken aback by this and was unable to speak. Instead, he just held her tight, running his long fingers through her hair as she cried. "And...I couldn't bare the thought of seeing you lying in another hospital bed," she finished.

"It's not selfish to want to see your son, JJ. Don't ever think that," he replied, kissing the top of her head. He didn't know how to respond to the last part of her statement.

She calmed down after a moment and looked up at him. He thought he was going to lose it with her being so close and her piercing blue eyes locking with his. "Please don't think that you're not important to me too, Spence," she whispered.

"I don't," he answered. At least not anymore, not when she was looking him like that. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

It was at that moment that both forgot who they were for a second, inching closer to each other like two magnets being pulled together by force. When their lips met, electricity shot through their bodies and they both responded by intuitively deepening the kiss. Reid was the first to regain normal brain function when she moaned softly into the kiss.

"JJ..." he stopped them, stepping away from her and breaking eye contact. "We can't do this." Truth was he wanted it so badly that he was having trouble standing, but he knew it wasn't right. "What about Will? I can't be responsible for pulling apart a family."

He heard her sigh and he knew he had lost her. Why did he always have to be so logical? "I can't keep pretending to have a happy family though either," she stated. He looked up at her, stunned.

"What are you talking about?"

She took small step towards him, "Its not Will that I spend my time thinking about, Spence." He just stared at her, waiting for a better explanation. "I've been denying it for a long time because I didn't think you felt the same way and because we work together and I was scared."

Reid swallowed hard; closing what little space was left between them. "And now? Are you not scared now?"

"I'm petrified," she whispered. "But I can't live not giving this a try. When I found out that you had been exposed yesterday... I just can't deny it anymore. I'm willing if you are."

Reid looked into her eyes as she spoke, hardly believing his ears. It took him a moment to process everything, long enough that she looked down expecting him to reject her. Then, without a word, he placed a hand on the side of face, caressing her cheek. She had only a second to look back up before his lips locked with hers once more. This time it was a much gentler, slow kiss. One full of love, promise, and hope. When the need for air was too strong they finally pulled apart and he rested his forehead against hers.

"Oh, I'm willing," he finally answered. They smiled briefly at each other. "But not like this. Not just because we're both still reeling from the past few days. And not when you are still sharing a place with the father of your son."

She nodded, leaning into him and he wrapped his arms around her. "Then when? When will our timing ever be right?"

He kissed her forehead and sighed. "Soon. I promise you, JJ, with all my heart, soon." As they stood there in each others' embrace both knew he was telling the truth. Their timing would be right...some time soon.

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The End


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